[What Ito truly sought was the ties with other people that he had severed...]
[The Shinsengumi Crisis Arc comes to its conclusion!]
I told you that your arms and legs will rip off.
Who'd want to go and save their sorry asses?
I can't stop. My body won't listen to me.
It's being pulled forward...Strings are pulling me from the front and the back.
It annoys me to no end...
These strings are as strong as steel, but still...
You can have an arm and a leg or two.
Even if these strings can cut flesh...
I'd like to see them try to sever an obnoxious bond!
Get down!
Ito!
Sensei!
Ito!
["It's All About the Beat and Timing"]
Gin-san!
Bansai-sama... In front!
White Knight! What is it you fight for?
What is it you risk your life for?!
The destruction of the samurai's world is already inevitable.
Even if Shinsuke does not soil his hands, this country will rot away!
Your struggles alone will not stop it!
There's no longer anything worth saving of this country!
It's the samurai's duty to graciously give
this rotting country which has been completely ravaged by the Amanto it's final rites!
This country must slit its belly!
If you want to die, then go ahead and kill yourself with the coals!
[Note: Coal briquettes are often used for suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.]
Gintoki Sakata...you are a ghost.
You once tried to protect this country along with Shinsuke and the others.
You are obsessed and unable to let go. You are a living ghost.
There is no longer anything for you to protect!
Ghosts should go back where they belong.
I'll play you a requiem!
The strings...!
Hey, bud!
Take off those headphones, dammit!
When did he grab my strings?
What're your waiting for? Fire!
Clean out your ears and listen up!
I've never once fought for the sake of this cheap country.
I couldn't care less...
if the country or samurai fell. I have always...
Then, and now...
What I protect...
has never changed!
Bansai-sama!
What're you doing?
Get your heads out of your asses!
Vice-Chief...
...your orders...
This is to all of you! I've taken their leader's head!
The enemy is nothing more than a flock of lost sheep!
Finish them off all at once!
Tsk, retreat!
Don't let them get away! Kill them all!
Why...why did you do that?
You committed treason. Why did you protect us?
You're...not Shinsengumi...
but you seem to be tied to them in a way that words cannot describe.
You're neither friends, nor are you enemies.
...we're obnoxious bonds.
Hmph, I suppose there are ties like that...
I didn't know. Or rather, I didn't try to understand.
Despite hoping to create ties with people, I severed them on my side.
I lost sight of what I really wanted because I tried to protect a tiny bit of pride.
Even when I finally found the ties that were important to me,
I destroyed them on my side.
Why...
Why is it always too late when you finally realize that?
Why is that I want to fight with everyone but I can't even stand?
Why is that I want to wield my sword, but I have no arm?
Why is it that...I finally truly realized that...but I'm going to die...?
I don't want to die. If I die, I'll be alone...no ties would reach me...
I don't want to be alone anymore...
We'd like you to...
hand him over to us.
...Please. He's gone through enough.
Odd Jobs... We owe you for your help this time.
But we cannot heed your request.
How many people do you think lost their lives because of him?
We must deal with the traitor ourselves.
He saved us! And he...
Kondo-san!
Take him.
Why?!
Kondo-san, why...?
Kondo-san...
That's right...he'd die anyway even if they left him alone.
That's exactly why...
That's exactly why they must kill him.
Get up...Ito.
What do you say we settle this?
They...don't want him to die a filthy traitor's death.
They want him to end his life...as a samurai...
...and a fellow comrade.
That's the death he deserves.
Hijikata!
Ito!
...ank...you...
Thank...you...
I see. Ito died and the Shinsengumi survived.
So the Bakufu is unexpectedly alive and well.
No, perhaps Ito was weak...or...
Was it you who was weak, Bansai?
The original intent of this job
was to draw away the Shinsengumi's attention from the Bakufu bigwigs.
If the Harusame successfully made their secret voyage
and a secret agreement was reached with the Bakufu bigwigs, there's no need for a battle.
We would have succeeded in warding them off.
I thought I told you to handle this with the intent of crushing the Shinsengumi.
As in all things, it's all about the beat and the timing.
Without both, nothing will go well.
If I can't get into it, I back out immediately. That's how I do things.
Bansai.
You can't get attuned my song?
The White Knight said, "What I protect has never changed."
Shinsuke...any idea what he was talking about?
It made me feel like asking him until I find out.
I've fallen in love with their song. I've lost.
...This is bad...
Really bad. They totally think I'm dead.
I never dreamed they would hold a funeral so soon.
I'm totally too late. I blew the timing.
...I've changed my mind.
I want to hear...a bit more of your song.
Live on, I look forward to the day when you'll let me here the rest of it.
And so that's how it went.
No one expected that I would miraculously still be alive.
This is bad.
Not only was I spared because of the enemy's compassion,
but if they found out I spent all this time in the hospital without contacting them...
And the timing couldn't be worse.
"Sorry, I'm alive, after all."
If I showed up like that, they'd discipline me...for sure.
I'm in big trouble. What'll I do?!
Maybe I should die. At this point, things would be easier if I were dead.
You fool! Leaving this life before an old man! You....you...you...!
Stop it! Don't make it any worse!
You're making it harder and harder for me to show myself.
You know I...thought of you...like a real son...
I didn't know...
...Pops...that you thought so highly of me...
Pusuke! Don't leave me behind!
Why am I alongside a dog?!
Or rather...this funeral is totally about the dog!
It's like, "we may as well include Yamazaki while we're at it!"
Regardless of how unremarkable I may have been, this is too cruel!
Why is there a can of Nilo there as an offering?!
[Note: Parody of Milo, the Nestle chocolate drink.]
Hey Priest! Why're you sipping on my Nilo?!
Not that I really cared for it or anything, but cut it out!
You're making me angry.
Hey! Turn off that cell phone.
Huh? I'm at the funeral for Boss Matsudaira's dog.
Tell them it's my funeral.
Oww...
My leg fell asleep.
Put away the JUMP, dammit.
Doesn't a human life mean anything to you?
How could they! They're like an undisciplined gang of hoodlums.
The Vice-Chief...isn't the Vice-Chief back yet?
What's with this? Haven't they lifted Vice-Chief's punishment?
Without his leadership, the Shinsengumi wouldn't exist today.
Seems he feels personally responsible this time.
I heard he personally asked for the suspension to be extended.
Come to think of it, he acted strangely back then too.
You think he won't come back to the Shinsengumi?
After what happened,
we may not be able to return to the Shinsengumi we were before.
Thank you for waiting.
I visited every temple and shrine in the city
and had them do every incantation and prayer they knew.
But in the end, this never left my side.
Seems this thing's curse...is deeply ingrained in my very being.
No telling when this will consume me again.
Does that mean you won't return to the Shinsengumi?
You should think about changing jobs.
Maybe you should join Animate.
[Note: Animate is a chain that sells everything related to animation.]
Sounds good to me.
A demonic sword that never leaves your side.
You are truly one with your sword. It's the perfect sword for you.
You are the soul of the Shinsengumi.
We are the sword that protects you.
You say that so casually.
Thanks for you help.
Hijikata-san, where are you going?
Isn't it obvious?
My body has more angry spirits and curses on it than it can accommodate.
It's full of all the people I've stepped over and the enmity of my comrades.
What's another curse or two gonna do?
I don't intend to look back no matter who dies.
I intend to shoulder every one of them and move forward...
so they won't laugh at me in Hell.
...Nice weather.
Oh.
We forgot to collect our fee.
Forget it.
It's better to collect a little at a time rather than all at once.
Do you think he'll be okay, though?
Will he be able to continue working?
He'll be fine.
We don't have to worry any more.
Oh yeah, here we go!
They don't give a shit! What do they think a funeral is?!
I'll show all of you! You all should be punished!
I'll scare the hell out of all of you and...
Yamazaki returned from the dead!
Rule No. 22.
No reading of manga, except for MAGAZINE, allowed in the headquarters.
[Note: Refers to "Weekly Shonen MAGAZINE, a rival of Shonen JUMP.]
Rule No. 17.
Turn off cell phones during meetings and important ceremonies.
Rule No. 45.
Do not die and return from the dead.
Samurai should rest in peace with good grace.
The entire lot of you are breaking the Bushido principles! Slit your bellies!
Vice-Chief...
Vice-Chief!
Ouch.
Stop it.
Hooray! The Vice-Chief came back!
What're you guys talking about?
I said you all have to slit your bellies!
Oh, we will. We'll do it as many times as you want.
Toshi... You said I was the soul of the Shinsengumi.
But to these guys, you're also an irreplaceable part of that soul.
Good to have you back...Toshi.
Hello. Hijikata speaking de gozaru.
[Preview]
Strikers are beasts that live to score goals.
What awaits at the end of the road for those who seek to score?
Kick it in, Amarao!
["Love Is Often Played Out In Sudden Death"]
[Daisaku Amarao, star player of FC Oedo hires Gin-san and his friends to play soccer.]
[Note: FC is short for Football Club.]
[Next week's "GinTama" has a lot of balls! Pretty good, eh? Get it?]
[Note: Play on the "tama" in "GinTama", which literally means silver balls.]